Vension & Red Wine and Rabbit & Wild Mushroom sausages, Cauliflower cheese

The sausages are made by a very nice man who sells them at the farmer's market. This weekend I got Rabbit and Wild Mushroom - which were a very dark colour due to the mushrooms -fantastic flavour. And Venison and Red Wine - which were very red inside and super delicious.
That stall is fast becoming my favourite: the venison chorizo, the sea beet, the crazy mushrooms, the amazing sausages - all made by hand (where applicable). I chatted to him about where to get Sea Beet. I want that to be my first trip in the new car :) Can't wait to go foraging!!

I also made a cauliflower cheese - because really what else can you do with a cauliflower? I was niftily upsold it at the market whilst getting some carrots, "Cauli and a cabbage for £1.20?"
Cauliflower cheese? Hmm, not made that before.
"A nice January King?"
I've never had a January King before.
"They look great. Yes please. Very good upsell." Smile.
"Well, there's no good growing it, if you can't sell it!" Job done.

Matt was very nice and said it was delicious but there was only so far he could go with cauliflower. I asked when I should cook with it next: response, "At least six months" :) 
It was lovely tho' - bechamel cooked with bay leaf gave a lovely savoury flavour, and mustard is fantastic with cheese. I cooked the cauli for 10 minutes with some lemon juice in the water, so it was nice and white. And not overcooked, thank god. There is no rescuing an overcooked cauliflower : /

Venison pie

This was partly a 'clear up the left-overs' pie - but with some choice venison from the game man at the market.
We used up the gravy from the partridges the other week, some small carrots we put in there whole, some shallots (often spelled shorlots at college) left over from the thai curry paste, paris brown mushrooms that we have a surfeit of as they looked great at the market, and remnant puff pastry from the tarte tatin. We had to crack open some red wine, which went down very well with it. Also used up half a celeriac I had lying about, which I had mashed up. Matt's a bit over celeriac mash and has retreated to plain potato. Unfortunately for him - its still my favourite - lifting the gag-worthy heaviness of just potato and adding that superb sweet and sour aniseed flavour. Absolutely cracking.